Top Ten: Current Stars Who Deserve a Great Role & Still Haven't Been Nominated
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 2:00PM 
psssst. you still haven't been nominated for an Oscar.
Charlize is such a bitch! (I kid I kid.) But Emily Blunt has to be frustrated by know, right?
Herewith a quick top ten list for your Tuesday afternoon. Among currently working actors, who do you think would be most completely justified in righteous fury that they're still waiting for that one special role and even a single Oscar nomination? My answer to that question lies below. Please to note that this list could never be comprehensive. This isn't a list of "most snubbed" so much as 'doesn't it seem like time / past time?' and as such is highly subjective with an unwieldly title.
Here we go.
10 CURRENTLY WORKING STARS MOST OVERDUE FOR
THAT TRULY GREAT ROLE THAT EARNS THEM THEIR 1ST OSCAR NOMINATION
This list is dedicated to all the greats that Oscar ignored time and again like Donald Sutherland and Mia Farrow who have now aged into "You missed your chance. Give them an Honorary" territory.
RUNNER UP TIE: Kristen Wiig & Greta Gerwig
Funny
Did you hear that?
Funny
Yeah, the guy said"Honey, you're a funny girl."
Comediennes so rarely get Oscar nominations (Melissa McCarthy got lucky!) but when you can work such comic gold from deep pain and surprise regularly with dramatic depth (Kristen Wiig) or when you're a completely singular star who is endlessly watchable (Greta Gerwig) shouldn't you be able to win prizes?
the top ten after the jump
06 THE TENDER HEARTS CLUB [Five-Way Tie]
Ewan McGregor / Peter Sarsgaard / James McAvoy / Colin Farrell / Ben Whishaw
I do fear that the magical moment may have passed when people were besotted with their gifts / persona on a regular basis. And yet never any Oscar love despite performances as singular as Moulin Rouge (2001), Shattered Glass (2003), Atonement (2007), In Bruges (2008), and Bright Star (2009) respectively? Are they too "actressy" as male actors go (i.e. sensitive, nuanced, and with their angst largely free of machismo?) to earn the kudos they so richly deserve? Nevertheless all five still remind us from time to time, most recently in scenes in Black Mass, X-Men: Days of Future Past, True Detective, and Lilting, that they are exceptional and singular actors (despite being grouped together here). What will it take to get them that breakthrough industry respect role?
05 Channing Tatum
He has everything... except the Oscar nomination. It often takes Oscar a very long time to come around to the matinee idols among male A List Stars. Especially the ones whose primary gifts fall under the "light comedy" realm of acting -- Cary Grant and Gene Kelly only received 1 Oscar nomination each, after all! -- but recently in Foxcatcher Tatum proved he's no dramatic simpleton even when playing one.
04 Sarah Paulson
This could well be a controversial choice because she's only of late really started growing on the big screen and is still more of a TV star but in a just world where supporting Oscar categories weren't so regularly polluted with leading star turns, there would have been ample room for two nominations already for her startling understanding of empathy-free entitled exterior with low self esteem and raging interior in 12 Years a Slave and her jewel cut perfection as Carol's best friend and ex lover; every line reading was a short film unto its own with rich complexity and backstory.
03 Michael Peña
Hollywood's Most Reliable Supporting Man. He's winning and precise and charismatic and nuanced in nearly everything. And yet still undervalued and almost never listed among "great character actors". Often he's the very best thing in his movies, too (Crash, Ant-Man, End of Watch, etcetera). What would it take to get him that signature part that takes him to the next level and wins him a shiny golden statue, too?
02 Emily Blunt
The 2006 Supporting Actress lineup whiffed it big time by not including her A+ level comic support as the bitchiest of fashionistas. After The Devil Wears Prada she's been prominently featured in or plain ol' headlined the following triple-Oscar-nominated films: Sicario, Into the Woods, and Young Victoria in addition to being the arguable Best Action Heroine Since "Ripley" via Edge of Tomorrow. And yet she's still waiting for the signature role and the Oscar nomination? What's that about?!
she's a 'dime' alright.
01 Scarlett Johansson
Her filmography and ever escalating range and starpower speaks for itself: Ghost World, Lost in Translation, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Don Jon, Her, Under the Skin. Even if you include retired actors in "most overdue" she'd still make the top ten. Maybe when she's free of the Marvel Universe and the Black Widow (a role which she also elevated) they'll finally see the Master Thespian inside the Sex Symbol?
Who would you put on such a list?
Reader Comments (95)
Interesting to read your assessment of what might be holding back that group of men (McGregor, Farrell, McAvoy, Whishaw and Sarsgaard) from nominations. I hadn't considered it, but it does seem like those men (possibly with the exception of Colin Farrell) seem to do stellar work in ways that don't typically get male actors attention. Very few of them seem to trade in earnest masculinity or biopic mimicry, which (sadly) is what it would probably take for any of them to cross over and get nominated. I could actually see any of these five men steamrolling in the right year for a middle of the road biopic performance that pales in comparison to their former work, but that's probably true of many actors.
Emily Blunt was the best thing about Into the Woods! I lit up every time she was on the screen (and she has a beautiful voice too).
Scarlett is also turning into one of the most interesting actresses working today... she does specific styles really well, and does have that "it" factor that helps to elevate her roles. I would include Lucy in the list of performances you mentioned and still died when the National Film Critics Society cited her for both Under the Skin and Lucy in 2014 (really a banner year for her).
Very much co-sign the entire list, actually. Particularly Scarlett Johansson and Sarah Paulson. They both deserved to be in the 2013 Supporting Actress lineup (for Don Jon and 12 Years a Slave respectively.). I would have maybe voted for Paulson to win that year, she was that good.
I would throw JGL into that top group!
The most obvious is Oscar Isaac. He should have at least two nominations by now. I love that you put in Wiig, Paulson, McAvoy and Pena. They have crazy talent and I will watch these four in anything.
It's still insane that it took this long for Tom Hardy to get a nomination. Absurd.
Oscar Isaac
Michael Sheen is also way way overdue
Cary Grant actually had 2 nominations, Penny Serenade in 1941 and None But the Lonely Heart in 1944.
Isabelle Huppert
S. Epatha Merkerson
CCH Pounder
Kimberly Elise
Kimberly Scott
Suzzanne Douglas
Jenifer Lewis
Danny Glover
Parker Posey
Bryce Dallas Howard
Allison Janney
Channing Tatum?... Really?.... You must to kidding me...
Wasn't James McAvoy nominated for Atonement? If not, what a shame. For many of these, one nomination for the right role could result in a win.
As a long time Emily Blunt fan I salute your choice, I would even bump her to #1.
With James McAvoy and Ewan McGregor tied for #2.
I've warmed up to ScarJo in recent years but she did some performances that did not impress me -"The Other Boelyn" and "VCB", but she seems to be getting better. (top 10 but not #1)
But Emily Blunt never turns in a bad performance, and it hurts me that James McAvoy and Ewan McGregor do not have nominations. (they are both Scottish, is there a prejudice?)
Tom Hiddleston is someone I would add that you haven't mentioned.
Tatum? Seriously? I mean: I like him in comedies but he still can't act in dramas (and "Foxcatcher" was no exception). (And the fact that I LIKE him in comedies doesn't mean that I would nominate him for anything.)
I think Scarlett needs the role before Oscar bites and nothing has taken much hold,Sarsgaard should have THE 2003 OSCAR period.
As for Paulson I still think her sensitive,tough,confused,arrogant etc etc sister in Martha Marcy May Marlene is still her greatest performance.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER Y'ALL.
Eh. Channing Tatum at 5 is really hard to agree with. Agree with everyone else. But also:
Maria Bello
Ben Foster
Robin Wright
Loretta Devine
Michelle Monoghan
Alec Baldwin
Daniel Craig
Jim Carrey
Kimberley Elise
And let me add the incomparable Catherine O'Hara.
Because we all love her every time she shows up in a film, and she's still a little too young for an Honourary Oscar. But she deserves at least a nomination, if not a win.
McAvoy not getting Oscar nominated for Atonement still gives me RAGE ISSUES so best not bring that up again.
I second a few people and say Oscar Isaac, but he's "relatively" new compared to most of the names here and his star is rising every year.
You know what actor I'd like to put on the list? JOHN GOODMAN. With all his *fantastic* supporting roles the past few years, it boggles the mind he hasn't managed to get an Oscar nomination for one of them.
Baldwin is a nominee - The Cooler
Excellent write-up. Hard to argue with any of the choices - maybe it's because they have all seemed effortlessly excellent in their work, and Oscar wants to reward people they feel worked hard to achieve excellence, both in their performance and their campaign.
OMG Kirsten Dunst!!!
As a fan of Picket Fences, both Kathy Baker and Tom Skerritt should have gotten Oscar-winning roles by now. Ain't right.
Right with you on Paulson, Johansson, Sarsgaard, McAvoy, and Whishaw, especially.
And totally agree with the comments re: Kirsten Dunst, JGL, Daniel Craig, and John Goodman.
But where's the diversity!
Sorry, I know we've talked this to death - I couldn't resist. And I have to pick a bone with you over Channing Tatum... The definition of this list is to me having a performance where you can quickly go, yes definitely should have been nominated and he doesn't have that.
Some good jobs for sure, but no Emily Blunt level 'she missed out, I want to die, I can't live in this world' level of outrage. Maybe that's just me with Blunt though...
Kimberley Elise on the other hand - her performance in For Coloured Girls still haunts me to this day.
Peter Sarsgaard in Shattered Glass is STILL one of my all-time favourite performances. To this day I'm still not over that Oscar snub.
Totally agree about the top two; Emily Blunt shouldn't have to dive into Oscar-bait territory to even be nominated. And Scarlett has been one of Hollywood's top actresses ever since the first Bush administration, and she's only getting better and better.
Channing Tatum - no, just no.
Tobey Maguire (though I'm not really a fan), Olivia Colman, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alessandro Nivola...
Isabelle Huppert would be my #1!
I would've given most of this top 10 a nomination at some point or another, so no complaints here. (I think that Tatum has to successfully branch out a bit more before I consider him to be under-nominated, though.) The only glaring omission is Paul Bettany.
Let's not feel too bad for Kristen Wiig, though.
I'm in love with this list.
Actually, Scarlett Johanssen is downright terrible in Ghost World, really amateurish. She was also bad in The Nanny Diaries (opposite a villainous Laura Linney). She got lots better as time went on, but she had a slow start. Maybe that's at the root of her Oscar-less bookshelves. Emily Blunt, on the other hand, has been terrific since day one, but I think she may lack that elusive Star Quality (much like several others listed here).
Kirsten Dunst has been overlooked for sure, and Sarah Paulson absolutely deserved a Supporting nod for her chilling performance in 12 Years.
Good list. #6 includes several of my personal favorites.
I, too, would add Kirsten Dunst.
I'm not too worried about Oscar Isaac - his star is still on the rise.
I must third Kiki! Interview with the Vampire, The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, All Good Things, Melancholia
Sam Rockwell? John Cusack? Angela Bassett?
Ooh, Sam Rockwell, yaas.
Also Liev Schreiber - the quality of his filmography is all over the place, but he's always good and I really thought he deserved a nod for Spotlight.
Oops on Bassett. Still, how did she wind up with only a single nom career?
I really love Scarlett Johansson at the top of this list. She has the most interesting filmography of someone not nominated yet.
In terms of ingenues, I would love for Oscar to notice Shailene Woodley. Descendants and Spectacular Now were great and she had really good "movie-star" moment in "Fault in their Stars." I would love to see how she pushes herself outside of the Divergent series and have Oscar take notice.
Catherine O'Hara.
Oops on Bassett. Still, how did she wind up with only a single nom career?
She's a black woman.
Totally on board with Ewan McGregor and Peter Sarsgaard. And I'm surprised there hasn't been any mention of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (or did I just miss it?). Audiences and fellow actors always seem to have good things to say about him. I'd Hope Mary Elizabeth Winstead has a nomination in her future. Loved her in "Scott Pilgrim", "Smashed" and this year's "10 Cloverfield Lane". And I'd certainly go with Gael Garcia Bernal (often marvelous, but especially fantastic in "Bad Education"). Above all, the great Gong Li. She should have been nominated over and over (Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern,Memoirs of a Geisha and Curse of the Golden Flower).
Here's to Emily Blunt no longer being the Girl on This Train! She should have at least two nominations for Sicario and Edge of Tomorrow, but she indulged in the sign of giving a fantastic performance in an action movie. Cosign Scarlett, Greta, Oscar Isaac and Sarah Paulson, all of whom could conceivably be nominated in the near future.
Just noticed the shout out for Liev Schreiber. Amen to that! He's always been good and his performance is certainly the one I'd have singled out in "Spotlight". Too bad more people haven't seen his work in the hockey film "Goon". He's wonderful in it. His co-star in that, Seann William Scott, is also someone that's been casually under-rated. I've really enjoyed him in low profile pictures like "Goon", "The Promotion" and the direct to DVD "American Idiot". Ashley Judd was on fire in the late 90's and early 2000's. She anchored a couple of box-office hits and absolutely rocked in under-seen gems like "Normal Life" and "Eye of the Beholder". In those days, I just assumed Oscar glory was in her future. But I guess that ship has sailed.
And of course Isabelle Huppert should be a winner and repeat nominee by now, but Oscar's aversion to foreign performances just shows how regularly and blindly they are out of touch and favor their prestige bait.
Li Gong
Joel Edgerton
Ben Foster
Daniel Bruhl
Eric Bana
Parker Posey
Paul Bettany
Kristen Stewart
Andrea Riseborough impresses me so much in everything she's in, I'm hoping the right role comes at the right time for her. I love and agree with many of the suggestions made. Especially Liev Schreiber, Allison Janney, Gong Li, Scarlett Johannson, Parker Posey. Once upon a time I'd have suggested Molly Parker, I think these days it's pretty unlikely. Guy Pearce? Billy Crudup? Jennifer Ehle?
Okay *obviously* Kristen and Greta belong on top of this list (alongside Johansson) rather than in the also-ran section
I have googled "never nominated for an oscar" several times before and this list is far better than any list I've read. It is really four different lists.
If we are saying, "Isn't this the right time in their career to say welcome to the club" I think the list would go:
1. Scarlett
2. Emily
3. Joseph Gordon
4. Oscar Isaac
5. Kiki
6. Channing
7. Daniel Craig
8. Liev Schreiber
9. Idris Elba
10. James McAvoy
11. Tobey, Paul Bettany, Shailene, Sam Rockwell, Elijah Wood
Tom Hardy and Rachel McAdams were the 'welcome to the club, you've earned it' nom recipients this year.
There are also lots of actors that are great, have maybe stood out in one or two indies or small roles, but haven't really made a name for themselves yet. I would say Ben Wishaw, Sarah Paulson, and maybe Michael Pena, maybe Tom Hiddleston belong here. Brie Larson and Alicia Vikander hailed from this group.
If we're saying, "Working actors that have already made a significant contribution and are LONG overdue for this honor" its
1. Ewan
2. John Goodman
3. Donald Sutherland
4. Catherine O'Hara
5. Peter Saarsgard
6. Richard Gere
7. Jim Carrey
8. Jeff Daniels
9. Hugh Grant
10. Steve Buscemi
11. John Cusack
Gary Oldman and Jennifer J. Leigh just recently graduated from this list
And finally there's "Never nominated, but not working much now so chances are slim, or dead":
1. Mia Farrow
2. Danny Glover
3. Marilyn Monroe
4. Peter Lorre
5. Edward G. Robinson
6. Alan Rickman
7. Meg Ryan
8. Joseph Cotten
Christopher Plummer got off this list just in time.
Good list
I was looking at the imdb trying to find a supporting actress to include in this list and I came upon Marybeth Hurt. She's married to Paul Schader, and it turns out that -having written the screenplays for Taxi Driver AND Raging Bull- he was never nominated!
One ofo the films nominated the year when Taxi Driver was eligible is Cousin Cousine. Enough said. And The Stuntman was preferred over Taging Bull.
1-5 with a 5 way tie for six is still 10. It's a SIX way tie that would make it 11.
Yes, add Michael Sheen and Joel Edgerton to the "welcome to the club" list. And I was sure Jennifer Garner would get that a "congratulations on a solid career so far" nom, but now I don't know where she stands in the hierarchy.
I second ScarJo! She needs to get out of Black Widow suit more often to get that statuette.
Emily will be nominated for The Girl on The Train, if not, I don't know what is this world is coming to.
Anyway, that list is skewing a little bit young, don't you think?
Love it, but I personally would throw in John Goodman and Christine Baranski to it.